Note: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links, Schneps Media may earn a commission.
Mets GM Billy Eppler (Joe Pantorno/AMNY)
QUEENS — New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler still believes that manager Buck Showalter and his coaching staff are worthy of a longer grace period despite a disappointing start from the most expensive team in baseball.
“They deserve an opportunity to keep this going,” Eppler said on Tuesday afternoon before the Mets took on the Brewers at Citi Field.
The $344 million roster has mustered just 35 wins out of their first 78 (35-43) games this season with their postseason hopes already rapidly dwindling. Not only are they 16 games back of the NL East division crown, but they entered play on Wednesday night 8.5 games back of the last Wild Card spot and five teams in between them and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
A lineup that went largely unchanged from last year’s 101-win team has been ineffective, ranking 16th in runs per game after finishing fifth last year.
Jeff McNeil, the defending MLB batting champion, is batting under .260 this season. Starling Marte and Daniel Vogelbach possess OPSs under .700. While Pete Alonso is near the top of the league in home runs, he’s batting .222, which would be a career worst. Francisco Lindor is just one point higher at .223 despite being an elite run producer with 53 RBI.
In the starting rotation, the headlining duo of future Hall-of-Famers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer have not come as advertised.
Scherzer, who has dealt with a 10-game suspension along with neck and issues, has a 3.95 ERA this season. Verlander, who missed the first month of the season, lowered his ERA to 4.11 after five scoreless innings on Monday night against Milwaukee.
That’s a lengthy list of proven, veteran ballplayers that have had struggled at times throughout the season. For Eppler, he still believes it’s only a matter of time before things correct themselves and they…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply